Method and apparatus for making electric contact pins

Claim 1

IN THE METHOD OF MAKING ELONGATE TUBULAR ELECTRIC CONTACT PINS HAVING OPPOSITE OPEN ENDS FOR RECEIVING A CONTACT WIRE THERETHROUGH IN WHICH A PIN OF PREDETERMINED CONFIGURATION IS DIE FORMED IN AN INDENFINITE LENGTH OF TUBULAR STOCK MATERIAL, AND SUBSEQUENTLY IS SEVERED FROM THE STOCK MATERIAL AND HAS BURRS PROTRUDING FROM ONE END OF THE PIN FORMED BY THE SEVERING OF A PRECEDING PIN WHILE SAID PIN WAS BEING FORMED IN THE STOCK MATERIAL, WHICH BURRS ARE LIABLE TO BE BENT INWARDLY OF THE PIN INTO THE PATH OF THE CONTACT WIRE AS A RESULT OF CONTACT WITH OTHER OBJECTS DURING SUBSEQUENT HANDLING TO AN EXTENT WHICH PREVENT FREE PASSAGE OF THE CONTACT WIRE THROUGH THE PIN, THE IMPROVEMENT COMPRISING THE STEP OF APPLYING AN EXPANDING FORCE TO SAID ONE END OF THE PIN PRIOR TO SAID SUBSEQUENT HANDLING TO CAUSE ANY EXISTING BURRS TO BE FLARED OUTWARDLY OF THE PIN AND THEREBY PREVENTED FROM BEING BENT INWARDLY INTO THE PATH OF THE CONTACT WIRE DURING SAID SUBSEQUENT HANDLING.